Plus BBQ lunches at some farms, train rides and fishing for the kids. The smells and tastes. A day out of the city. Christmas tree tours, winery tours. Pick ’em yourself farms. Teaching the kids where their food comes from.

Petting zoos.

Filling up the car or truck with goodies to take home. And even more goodies to give to famil, friends, neighbors. Put in the freezzer.

The Blossom Trail Runat the other end of the season, usuall in April so mark your calendar.

And you can check out the Apple Hill farmswhile you are there. Buy or pick apples and other fruit, and get lunch and baked goods as well as some handmade crafts at some of the ranches.

And you can even visit Placerville and see that old Hangtown Motelsign made famous on the Dodge truck commercial this past fall. Remember the “We parked it here, and if you find it you can keep it” commercial? Placerville was named Hangtown in it’s early gold rush years.

The road that is now Highway 50 was one of the original California wagon train paths and allowed the original wagon train participants to make their way over the high Sierra mountains and down into the gold ore laden foothills and rivers of California beginning is 1849.

Each summer Wagon Train participants load up their wagons, ready their horses and dress in their western & gold miner best clothes and ride down the mountains over a one week period. many people use their vacation time to ride in the Wagon Train each year.

The full ride is just $120.00 and riding with the wagon train for one day is only $20.00. Pretty affordable . If you don’t have a wagon a buggy or a horse you can rent a “seat” on one of the wagons that are registered for the event.

Each night there is a Pow-Wow which is a lot of fun after a long, hard day on the wagon trail. There are some simple rules about period clothing and some other minor things.

Who do I talk to so I can join the Wagon Train??

The wagon train has formed a non-profit (501c3) corporation. The folks you should contact are:

You can bring your own food or purchase meals prepared by the wagon trains cook. The 2011 menu is here (2012 has not been released yet). Meals for the full week (breakfast, lunch & dinner) are just $135.00, or $25.00 per day if you are not on the train for the entire ride. Certainly a fair price since you don’t have to cook or wash dishes :-)

If you are thinking of going the Association has put together a great list of essentials for you, clothing, camping items, horseback riders needs etc. The essentials list is found here.

The wagon train has a shuttle service to move your supplies along the trail unless you are bringing your own wagon or buggy.

Wagon train riders face the same weather issues that the original 49ers (and early 1850ers) had to deal with. Meaning early summer heat, late spring rain and sometimes even snow on the high Sierra Mountain passes.

“As early as the 1840’s, a trickle of humanity began the arduous journey toward the great Pacific and the freedom they foresaw in settling there. In 1849, the cry of “Gold” from the foothills of the California territory rocked the world!”

From a review on Yelp: “If you live in or near Sacramento, you need to come here. If you don’t live nearby, you still need to come here. Regardless of your age, interests, taste in foods/wines/fruits, or mobility, you will LOVE Apple Hill!”

Update September 26th:

Well, my first apple pie from Apple Hill this season. The pie was from Larsen’s Apple Barn (see below) a really good ranch on the Hill. Bought some apple turnovers as well, might have one for lunch.

The pie was good but my mouth was expecting “great”, so I guess I have to go back and get another one! I can try one from each ranch. Good idea. Anyway, a little whipped cream and had a very good dessert.

The Apple Hill Growers Association started many years ago as a fledgling association of 16 apple growing ranches. Today the association has more than 50 ranches and includes Christmas tree farms, a micro-brewery, wineries, spas and vineyards. The ranches grow and sell fresh fruit (in addition to the apples) and produce. Some of the farms are “pick your own”, while others have picked their goods for you. There is a nice shuttle-bus service that runs thru the Apple Hill area if you want to save some gas and would rather not drive. The shuttle runs each weekend during the month of October. Personally, I find the drive to be half the fun!

Many ranches have other attractions like petting zoos, craft fairs, railroad rides, pony rides, pumpkin patches and a lot of fun things for kids.

Other ranches have on-site restaurants and some have displays of antique farming and ranching items. There is a golf resort and Red Hawk Casino is just up the road. The nice little town of Camino with a population of about 1,700, has a lumber company, general store, restaurant and hotel.

The buildings housing the old Hangman’s Bar has been empty for about a year. Te buildings have now been sold to a local couple who promise to restore the unreinforced brick buildings wich date back to 1853. There have been at least 2 recent attempts to demolish the buildings and the “Hanging Man”. The new owners will keep both on Placerville’s Main Street, where tey should remain for generations to come.

“The reprieve also appears to mean new life for the so-called Hangman’s Dummy, an effigy that has been strung up over the Main Street site for most of the past 70 years.”

It used to be that an Apple Hill map was a small almost hand drawn affair. Now the list of ranches and area covered is much larger and more complicated. This map is a good way to go online and then when you get to the Hill pick up one of the Association maps, a fold-out affair with the map, names of ranches, listing of their products and some other good info. But too big to put online even in a west/east type of affair.

And how about some eats and grub?

I try to make it to Apple Hill at least once a year. I am a sucker for the apple pies, apple cider donuts, apple fritters…yum yum. I’m getting hungry. And one ranch makes killer charcoal grilled burgers and chicken.

Boa Vista Orchards As you come off Highway 50 (heading toward Lake Tahoe) this is the first large ranch and always one of my favorite stops. I love their pies and baked goods. They even sell apple wood for your BBQ pit. Nice!! The other non-apple item I love and even buy online during the summer is their Vidalia Onion Dressing for salads. I also use it as a marinade for chicken on the grill.

Denver Dan’sOne of the oldest ranches on the hill, established in 1962. Jams & jellies and a gift store in addition to apples and baked goods. They do “you pick” apples as well. Fun for the kids.

El Dorado OrchardsThe site of the very first Apple Hill Smorgy Days in the early 1960s, the precursor to what has become the Apple Hill association. El Dorado is the home of “the Apple Ridge Express Train carries many happy children, school groups and adults in the fall season”. This farm is also the starting line and finish for the annual Apple Hill Blossom Trail Run held during the April apple blossom period. No on-line store, but do not miss this one when you go.

Kids, IncI like this ranch a lot. “It’s a great story. 30 years ago when Edio and Joan Delfino began ranch marketing, they told their children that they could name the ranch. There were seven children and they sat down after dinner one night and thought up a few names–“Farm Kids”, “Little Safeway”, “Kids Incorporated“, and others less memorable. They took the final vote and “Kids Inc.” got the most votes… “Kids Incorporated” became the name of the apple ranch not because the ranch was for kids but because kids worked on the ranch.

HUGE apple pies!

Larsen Apple BarnOne of my favorites because this is one of the oldest continuously operated family apple ranches on the hill. Established in 1860 and still growing and selling their apples. It has been there so long they sit on a road called Larsen Road.

Their bake shop is “home of the original apple turnover on the hill” specializing in the Cream Cheese Apple Pie, cookies, apple butter, jellies and other delights”. No online shopping so make it one of your stops!!

Para Vi VineyardsWhat, no apple pie?? Wine, wine, wine. The hill is a perfect spot for growing wine grapes and there are now a number of great wineries. Para Vi is one I stop at. A single bottle of Para Vi 2004 Estate Zinfandel Sold for $1,300.00 at the El Dorado Art & Wine Festival auction! Must be good wine.

I can’t list all the ranches, wineries and spas so I will stop with those few. Like I said, you can’t miss at any of the Apple Hill ranches. In fact, stop at all 50 sites!!

I love the Placerville area and Apple Hill. Don’t miss it, but if you can’t make it check the growers site and individual ranches websites for some great on-line shopping.

Recipes?

Lots of Apple Treats here. The Association map has recipes as well and most of the ranches share at least some of their recipes (some are held secret!), so make sure you ask.

“This salad features a brown butter vinaigrette and a pumpkin seed streusel.”

How do you get to Apple Hill??

From Sacramento: Take Hwy 50, 42 miles East to the town of Placerville. Go past the third signal on Highway 50 in Placerville and go two more exits to the Schnell School Road exit. Turn left at the bottom of the off ramp and go uphill on Schnell School Road to the stop sign at Carson Road. Stay on Carson Road and pick up a growers map at any of the Apple Hill ranches. The map is great, listing all the ranches and their products, hours of operation etc.

In the small town of Camino which is very close to the hill. “The hotel boasts a rustic country parlor, old fashioned front porch, second level sun porch, 9 total guest rooms, (some with private baths) and accented with rustic flair.”

In Placerville, The Fleming Jones Homestead Bed & Breakfast Inn is a charming historic 1883 homestead and working horse ranch on 11 acres nestled between art and antique filled Placerville and famous Apple Hill.

The main farmhouse has three rooms while the bunk house (where the cowboys used to stay) has two rooms and a spacious deck overlooking the horse pastures. And this ranch has Wi-Fi!! They provide a great farm breakfast.

You can find other hotels/motels/inns in the gold country at this link.